Xxiv.c: Recompile, I Yell For Him To Climb Up My Arm He Tries And Slips, I Grab His Forearm In Panic

xxiv.c: Recompile, I yell for him to climb up my arm … he tries and slips, I grab his forearm in panic and pure instinct … he starts to slowly slip more and more down to my hand … he says … “God PLEASE … PLEASE I DON'T WANNA …” He slipped out of my hand and disappeared into the depths below… I stare in disbelief and shock at what just happened … I then snap out of my quick little trance, then go to stand, I grab onto the railing and shuffle and struggle walk towards the stairs leading up to the helm with the captain. I make my way up the stairs… and look over to my left, where this Black Beard looking figure was pointing and yelling around and at sailors, as to direct them in what to be doing, I walk up towards him, and in his madness and chaos … his gaze crosses me for a mere glance … then his eyes dart right back to me and all the color and expression leaves his face … then a terrified shock pours over him … he raises his arm and says to me “n-no … it can't be you … y-you died years ago” I yelled HUH?? Then the storm picked up again, I start to stumble and then BOOM lighting hits the back of the ship … knocking loose the rope that tied down the main boom … it came swinging with great force straight for me at a slight downward angle … it SLAMS right into my abdomen carrying me straight to the edge of the ship … busting right through the railing launching me overboard, I watched as the top of the shit grew in distance and my arms flailed in the wind of the fall … then boom … my back slammed into the rocky cold seas and then … darkness … I thought, was I dead? THEN LIGHT … I awoke … springing straight up with great force and speed from a resting position to a sitting position … OHH … What the Fucking FUCK!! ... I look around … I'm … I'm in a bathtub? Filled with blood, I'm covered in … blood, head to toe. I look at my arms and hands as they are covered in blood, so much so … some starts to drip off onto my lap. I look to my right and notice the curtain is fully drawn, I grab the edge and pull it open … it's a bathroom from a previous house … I stand up and step out of the tub, open the cabinet as to grab a towel … it was completely empty … great. I went to open the door and walk out into the hall … but … it was … it wasn't my house hallway… it was the hallway with its drab walls and flooring, I walked out from one of the doors in the wall … I walk out into the center of the hall … look all the way right down the hall … then all the way left down the hall … both just lead on infinitely into a black void. Then I hear a loud bang from behind me? I turned around quickly, the door to the bathroom had slammed shut? I go to open the door again … it was … locked… … … I … was speechless … I walk backwards to the center of the hall … turn to my right and start to just … walk … I walked and walked and walked… until then, I came across an intersection in the hall, an opening to a slightly larger room on the left side of the hall … it had a desk and a few lounge chairs against the wall with a little table with magazines … I walk over and pick up a magazine … soaking it with blood … it said on the front cover “Family, Friends … Rehab … your journey starts with Ascension” I put the magazine down. I looked towards the desk and there someone was, a woman dressed in an old-timey nurse outfit with stains all over … I walked up to the desk and she just stared looking straight forward at the upper wall in the oak desk … she had this … fucking god-awful gleaming smile … and bulging eyes … Hello? ... can you help me please? I don't really know what's going on, haha. No response … uh hey! *I wave my hand in front of her face* still nothing … then I noticed a little sign in front of a bell that read “Ring for Service” … … … I think, it's worth a shot … so I ring the bell and INSTANTLY Her head twitches to face me and she says “The Dr will see you right away … Just go in through the doors on the right please!” I look to my right and there now are two double doors that look like hospital doors that were not there before … [To Be Continued]

xxv.f: Destroyer, then watched as he sneezed, burped, and hiccupped all at the same time ... I played with him and put the collar around him, which he seemed not to mind much … time passes and dinner had been made, The Imp brings me a plate, sits next to me and turns on some random internet video over her TV “SCP-096 Documentary” and we begin to eat the Thai scallop sauté mixed with soft white rice and steamed broccoli covered in light dabs of soy sauce. “So … are you … ok?” Loaded question really “It's not supposed to be … ” well, I mean … I'm alive and still kickin ain't I? I'd say that's pretty good, wouldn't you? “*sigh* Stop … dodging the question. Come on … please?” *sigh* yeah … I'm ok, for the most part … just adjusting to a lot, trying to figure out more or less where I stand. “Where you stand? I hope you know, we're good … I care for you and I know you care for me, so you don't have to think, at least for me … that you're on the rocks or not important … I think about you more or less every day, at least once … so you know.” I had no doubts on us, or about you … and … Thank you, you mean a lot to me as well … especially now more than ever, you're important in ways I'd never be able to express to you Imp, not easily at least, especially with … my past transgressions and idiotic mistakes towards you, sorry again for it all btw, never meant to hurt you, just wanted to protect myself and others. *a smile and eyes as big as an Olympic swimming pool grew on her face* “Heheee! … Well … I … I-i don't really know what to say. I never expected … didn't think it possible for you to apologize to me … at least not the Red I used to know … and I get it you know, I'm sure you'd understand more than anyone what it's like to be treated as a monster or a threat … especially when in reality … you're just trying to love. I understand why you did what you did, I'd probably do the same if I was in the same situation, and had similar fears. It's ok, I forgive you.” Thank you … truly. I still feel responsible, however, a debt that must be repaid. “You weren't at fault … do you remember what you told me years ago at the lake? When we all gathered around for The Jesters' birthday party?” Um … I don't, no, what was it? “Never save those truths from the heart for a rainy day, lest you'll drown in regret … speak to everyone worth a damn” “like they're You” … anything other than that … is a shitty mask, keeping you from seeing what's really going on in the moment. “Yep! You got it … I thought about that for years, especially during college, there were plenty of times I just … would put on a mask or persona, and just kind of pretend I was something or someone I wasn't … every time I recognized that, I remembered that. I tried to just, stop and switch back to what I wanted to say/do and just move on … it helped a lot … thank you.” Thank you for telling me, what was your greater point to all that though? I don't follow sorry. “It's not your fault what you did … I think you maybe put on a mask because you didn't honestly remember how to deal with inner group conflict … and in the end … it ended up hurting me yes, but not because you were purposely doing so, or at least, not in a way that I know you were trying to … you as you said, were just trying to protect. You just forgot/maybe got caught up in the whole situation and made a few rash decisions. I mean … am I right?” You're absolutely right … I hadn't even honestly thought of it like that before, partially because I feel more or less like I'm not immune, but more so … less prone to those types of situations, it's hard to accept honestly, the realization that I slipped … part of that “adjusting” I was talking about … need to learn how I ticked … need to reestablish the order of operations and become … Old … again … haha, if that crazy nonsense even makes sense ... [To Be Continued]

xxvi.b: Son of Salem, She sits beside me on her couch, and cradles her arm around my neck. “I don't know … but I'm sure the answer is out there somewhere, you'll find it, it'll all make sense, I know it!” Y-yeah … “Now … to Vigor then. Where even is he? Do you know?” I don't, but have a decent idea, there's this spot in The City, kind of rundown district that never finished construction … filled with half-built mega buildings, empty streets, and nothing but realistically, one giant physical playground, where you could run, lift and pretty much go crazy. Think I'll look there first, and just hope he didn't get into the pits and the underground crime network instead … last thing I need to deal with is some Shard-Turned-Meriden thug causing me issues with reconnecting. [Meriden is a group of individuals and shards that are … less desirable, and more destructive, they are mad lunatics that run havoc across The City, guns a blazing, all chromed the fuck up, decked in the most hyper illegal and pre-alpha bio-ware you've ever seen fuckin seen. With the goal of, do whatever the fuck they want.] “Ok, so … is it safe? Are you gonna be ok to do this? Especially after realistically not taking any time to recover outside of your short little camping trip, and staying over here yesterday. I think you should wait … just stay with me for the time being and, you know … recover.” It sounds nice, really. But I can't do that, gotta get moving again, I have no idea what those deformity fucks are doing or where the Cazbium even is right now. I have to keep my lead … if I still even have one, can't let them catch up. “Mmm … well … ” I stand up and lean down towards her. It'll be fine! Come on … I got this, and if something does happen … I'll call yah! “yeah … I just think it's better if you recover more … but … you are you after all.” I give her a hug. It'll be fine. I sit back down and slide my feet into my boots … tie them nice and tight … stand up and say, So … you staying here and watching Ein then? “Yep! Don't worry, he'll be fine here with me, I'll do some more research on him … see what raccoons like in terms of toys, see if they require a lot of attention, figure out some dietary plans etc.” Ok … sounds like we got a plan then, I'll come back as soon as I'm done, promise. A big smile stretched across her face. I lean down, pet Ein on his head with my finger, and say. See yah buddy, be back soon … be good Ein. *Squeak* I stand … open the front door, wave goodbye and … I'm out. I walk down the street and think … If I were Vigor … would I join me? Especially against Wrath and the two assholes, maybe not, on the other hand … he always loved a challenge. I take a detour a bit, to a bar/diner themed in all things aviation, especially the world wars, a spot me and The Knight would frequent often after work, I go up to the bar and sit down … order a Pepper Jack Cocktail with steak fries and bacon with melted cheese. I sit and null over the chances more on Vigor … If he were to join, that’d boost me further towards being able to deal with Body, more so the ability to withstand the turmoil that would be in becoming him. On the other hand, I’m not sure if he’d even be willing to join my side, especially after so many years of neglect or dogging … shit … might just kick my ass to get in a workout and then tell me to fuck off. On the other hand, he is as of now, a necessity … because first came Vigor then came Valor. Minds equivalent to Vigor in a way … but there is not acquiring the second without the first. I thought about maybe getting some help, seeing if I could find The Knight again … partially was hoping to see him at this bar when I walked in, just by chance. He would be able to support me in the fight more than anyone, considering he was one of the main reasons Vigor even was birthed into this shit-eating world. But alas … he walks these streets as I do … [To Be Continued]

xxv.d: Destroyer, “*Scream* WOAH!!! WHAT THE FUCK!?! YOU HAVE A FUCKING RACOON IN YOUR BAG” ... Ein scared, let out a little squeak, and dug deep into the bag to hide. Uhhh … Yea! And you just scared him! Nice going prick. Come here! tuka tuka tuka, come on! the evil little demon won't hurt you. “You KNEW it was in there!!!” Of Course! And … IT'S … name, ls … Ein. “Uhhhh Okay!?! Why the fuck do you have a baby Racoon? And WHY did you bring him here???” He was all alone and was clearly interested in me, he was walking all over my face when I woke up today, he seemed lost and scared … soooo … I've adopted him! “*Sigh* Why must you insist on making friends with strays? Do YOU EVEN KNOW IF HE'S SAFE TO HAVE???” Look at him! He wouldn't/couldn't hurt a fly … or well, maybe a fly, but not a Frog! … I start to pet Ein on his head as he pokes his head back out; isn't that right Ein! Yes! yes no you won't hurt anyone Noooo tch tch tch good boy. “I MEANT … Diseases! … fucking idiot, aren't raccoons carriers of rabies??” They can yeah … but only transmit it through biting, scratching, and getting secretions into your body, but he'd have to be rabid to do that … Which he is not! Thank You! And I'll have you know most diseases that raccoons carry are really only transmitted through their poop, so as long as you're careful, it's fine! “You are so gonna get some kind of worm or bacterial infection … and it'll be ME, taking care of you, fuck ass” Well looks like we have a plan then if that Happens!!! Now stop it … he's a hungry little cowboy bounty hunter and needs food because he is a strong boy. *Squeak* “You haven't found the shade with brains yet have you? Ok fine … what does … Ein … eat?” Well … tbh, I don't know what you're supposed to feed raccoons… but he loves granola bars. “You've fed him granola bars?” Yea! “Red, look at him! He's tiny, he can't even be a couple months old, he can't eat granola bars! Nor should he probably, he needs like … milk and stuff … he's just a baby and his stomach probably isn't developed enough to process that kind of stuff” She went and picked Ein up, started to pet him, and cradle him. “You can't just kidnap a baby raccoon and then proceed to mishandle/take care of him” I thought it was fine … look he's all chipper and ok. He closed his eyes and curled up in her hand, and started to pur. “You don't know if he's fine, we need to research this and take him to a vet, to make sure he's fine” Mmm … I mean yeah, probably right with that. “I'm gonna go research on what we should feed him and look up veterinarians in our area just in case, why I'm doing that … ”she grabbed a towel from the chair out of the recently washed laundry and threw it at me. I catch it. “Go take a shower and leave your clothes out, I'll throw them in the wash, I still have some old shorts of yours you can wear … I'll leave them on the sink” Yea yeah… got it … and … thanks. “No problem, and always … we'll talk more later, wanna know how you're holding up. But first ... ” *She pointed at the bathroom* “Shower stinky” *I grin and walk off to the shower (with full sass).* As I wash myself up, down, front to back, left and yes … right … I started to null over the lingering sound that had started to intensify since I arrived at The Over Garden, just general voices that were chatting away in the background, things being said such as ... [To Be Continued]

xxvi.j: Son of Salem, then a large sigh ... “God … it feels good to be back. But alright … let’s get this shit over with shall we? See you on the other side … So-” *BOOM* “Don’t say the name” … “Sheesh … whatever “golden boy”, fine.” … He crouches down, puts his hands over my neck, and starts to choke me. He smiles and laughs. I grab his wrists as he blocks my airways in a struggle. Then … out came that long silver tongue … it had to be a foot long … he got closer and closer. Then … He jammed his entire tongue down my throat, I could feel as it wiggled around. I gagged and struggled, I tried to resist … but I couldn’t move. My vision starts to fade in and out of clear and blurry … then it gradually gets darker … and darker … until … it’s pitch black. Once again … Lights out … … …  then I awake in shock and shoot up to a crunch kind of physical expression quick, as if I had awoken from a night terror. I gasp loud and start to cough, spitting up some water. I gather myself in a panic … I reach for my phone again, turn it on, and call this time another number … The Imp … as I had promised, if something bad had happened I’d call her. The phone rings all but twice, then she picks up. “H-hello? It’s really late … are you ok?” M, call this number please, tell them I’m located under the overpass and that I need immediate help … that the drug lord found me and tried to Sewer me, but he failed. I’ve broken both my legs, and I’m bleeding kind of badly here, that I need her to come pick me up and sort me out again. “WHAT!?!?! Ok ok SHIT … ” I can hear her fumble around on the other side of the phone. “OK OK, WHAT’S THE NUMBER!” I tell her the number. “OK I’LL CALL HER IMMEDIATELY SIT TIGHT” The phone hangs up. Then a few minutes pass and she calls again. “Ok! She is on the way.” Got it … thanks, I need to hang up … gonna try and move out of here. “What!? No no stay where you are, so she knows where to look for you.” It’ll be fine, she’ll find me trust me. Thanks again, see you soon I promise, Love you. I hang up the phone. I then try once more to move my legs … and … not gonna happen, they just are in to much pain and broken to much for me to walk on them. I feel an anger like no other boil from deep within, one that was missing for so long, was this Salem’s doing? I lurch over to my side with great pain, and start to crawl with my arms alone, dragging my self through the dirty puddle of water and strong rain. *BOOM* With each and every struggling lunge of my arms *BOOM* I go further and further … all the way … to the top of the canal … I lift myself up and over the side of the wall … flip myself over on the side of the road, to lay on my back in the drainage ditch gasping for air … I was breathless and so tired … one arm stretched across my chest the other across the small grass patch close to the canal wall … I had lost  a lot of blood and exserted so much energy I thought. I was so tired … I passed in and out of consciousness … then I heard a car pull up beside me … then a door opened and then … I heard another familiar voice. “OMG RED, RED ARE YOU OK!? CAN YOU HEAR ME” y-yeah … just help me … please. It was the voice of my Ripper. “OK Ok, god you look terrible, do you have any cuts? any lacerations open wounds?” I pass out. … … … Then I hear, a beeping noise. *Beep* … *Beep* … *Beep* I open my eyes and see … I’m in a hospital. Surrounded by The Imp, The Knight, The Jester, and my grand mother … meine geliebte Oma. They all look in shock. The Imp rushes and pushes the emergency call button to get the doctor. She placed her hand on my arm and said. “It’s ok now! … you’re ok now.”.

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xxvi.h: Son of Salem, No that’s NOT TRUE ... “YES … Yes it is true … and gods did I arrive at the perfect time! HeheHAAAAAA … Feeling Helpless are we??” Shut your FUCKING MOUTH!!!! “OH HO!!! THERE HE IS!!!! … The PASION!!!” He walks around me … menacingly. “THATS!! What I like to see … more of that and maybe you would have secured your spot wi … oh no … wait no, I guess that happened because you said a little too much now didn’t you?” I start to wheeze some more, breath heavy and quick. “You can’t fear ME!!! We are the same! We are one! … I’m not the by-product of those other two FUCKS! HA.” He leaned in close and grabbed my chin. “I’m the by-product of You!” I whip my head away and look at him with anger, although I know he only sees the fear in my eyes. “I wanna ask you a few questions” Go Fuck Yourself! “Gladly! … probably after my questions honestly.” he giggled. “Do you think there is even a lasting thought of you in their head? … think you’ve managed to carve something out in there? News flash! … that head was rotten.” He giggled again. “Think about how easy it must have been … to just … drop you … flick of a switch I imagine.” He giggled again all while walking back and forth in front of me. “maybe how much you put in, and how little you get out … some people would have, oh I don’t know … realized what was happening a bit sooner? You know … would have left and caught the next train ride out before shit hit the fan.” stop it … “We’ve always trusted our gut … It’s the only reason we’ve made it as far as we have … it’s all we got … “friend” … ” … “But you … you decided, for some reason, that the gut was untrustworthy … man has that backfired huh? Guess that’s what you get for going against yourself right? That’s what you say all the time Right!? If you’re not being you then what are you doing? and whom for? That masks are all just LIES … put on to shroud people's opinions of you … that it’s cowardice and self-destructive to mask … because the only person you’re fooling is who again?” shut the fuck … up “ooooh right … only fooling yourself.” I aggressively splash water in his direction, which … doesn't even make it to him. “Don’t act like this doesn't hurt me to … think I wanna see you of all people down here with me? Think I asked for this? DO YOU!” He jolts towards me, scrunching his face in anger, showing his teeth and eyes burning brighter than before. “No” he backs away … eyes dim slightly and he adjusts his collar. “No I don’t wish to see you hear of all places at all … I actually want to see you surrounded by white marble, gilded in gold … sitting on a throne with a Stupid Fucking! *sigh* … crown on your head.” He leans down to a Slavic-like crouch and faces me. If you’re here to end me on behalf of Wrath and his Deformities … just do so already, Just … end it already … even you can see my pain now … what my decisions and trust has gotten me … please … please don’t make my suffering greater than it already is … If I’ve lost … so be it, congratulations you’ve won I give up, that what you wanna hear? “Wrath?” … He makes a puzzled face. “Oh … you think … ha … Haha … HAHAHA … You think I work for WRATH!!! You think I’m a lackey here to do his DAMN BITTING?” … I stare confused and in pain. “I’m not here on behalf of him … or anyone else for that matter.” what? Then … why? “Like I said … don’t wanna see you here … never again.” huh? “So … “friend” … I’ve come to offer you a deal” No … no not gonna happen. “Seeing as you’ve really no choice … I fail to see how you won’t accept … unless of course … you really have been that damaged in your slumber like all the talk I hear, just as Wrath preaches … in that case maybe it is best you die.” … “I wanna offer you” He grins devilishly and is enshrouded in darkness. “ …  my help … ” He giggles again. “My allegiance MY power, the one you’ve been missing this entire time … the one you crave the most … I will join you … and help you remove that Parasitic tick Wrath from The City and win this shitty little civil war” … why? ... [To Be Continued]